The Church as a Community of Believers: Nurturing Faith and Spiritual Growth
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- Message By: Gboyega ADEDEJI
- Categories: Spiritual Growth
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I’m sure you’re aware that the first thing God started with was creating a family. In Genesis chapter one, we are introduced to how God began to work on the earth and He created the family. What we could also call the body, the body of water, the body of the earth, the body of this, the body of that.
In Genesis chapter two, when God was done creating what we could call the bodies or the families, the supporting system that would support the new creation called man, then God went ahead to create man. God did not start with many people who could be left to cater for themselves; He began with a family. The Bible says God made man in His own image. Later, it says it wasn’t good for man to be alone, so God made a suitable helper for him. Eventually, God gave the man and the woman children. A wholesome family began in Genesis chapters one through four.
It’s important for us to understand that we can be billions of people in the world today, but we can still be traced back to that family. For every creation of God, there is a requisite family support system established by God to support growth, to support life, and to make His creation thrive wherever He has planted it.
So, as it is for every creation of God, whether you call it the heavenly bodies or the creatures of the earth, there is a family support system built by God to support their expansion and growth. In this message, I will share the wisdom of God so we can understand the church and how we as a people can benefit from what God has established in the church.
When we talk about the church, we must remember that it is the body of Christ. The church was not mentioned until Christ came. Jesus said to His disciples, ‘I will build my church.’ Every time we mention the church, in the true sense of it, we are talking about the body of Christ. The church is the physical manifestation of Christ upon the earth. Christ is Spirit, and if you must see the Spirit on the earth, you must find that Spirit in the church. That is the essence of the church. Do you understand? For us to understand the church, I will go through a couple of points.
The Church as the Body of Christ
The first thing I want to mention is that the church is a body. We started by saying the body is that of Christ. The church is the body of Christ Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, the Bible says, ‘For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact, the body is not one member but many.’
This is important for us to understand as we understand the church. The church is a body, and it is the body of Christ. Even though we all have our bodies made up of many members, these members are one body. You could call them by their parts’ names, or you could refer to them as the body. Do we understand that? The church is the body of Christ.
It’s possible that there are many denominations, divisions, or units. It’s possible there are many countries that form the body. We mustn’t forget we are united in Christ. From the scripture we just read, it’s important to understand that there is unity in diversity. Even though we are many and from different origins, we are one. We are expected to be united.
Unity and Interdependence
If we look at the composition of a typical human body, it doesn’t matter the capacity or competence of any part of our bodies; they can hardly survive without the other. There is interdependence in the body. When we talk about the church, there is one baptism. We can say there is a shared baptism and one Spirit. We go through similar experiences. This is what God expects—that you are in a different part, but you are subjected to the same experiences as the whole body.
For instance, when you take a bath early in the morning, it doesn’t matter whether the part is the eye, ear, or leg; as long as you put your body under the shower, the entire body will be subjected to the same water. If the temperature of the water is hot, the entire body will feel the heat. If the water is cold, the entire body will feel the cold. If the water is dirty, toxic, or acidic, the entire body will feel it. Do we understand that? It doesn’t exempt any part. That is what we have as a body in Christ. We have shared experiences.
Faith Nurturing Through Teaching and Fellowship
In Acts 2:42, the Bible says, ‘And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.’ The church is expected to be that place where faith is nurtured through teaching and fellowship. You cannot get this somewhere else. If people don’t grow inside healthy families, it shows in their lives. Families ultimately dictate the character and characteristics of their members outside the family. You are just like the family you came out from.
If you are a member of the family of Christ Jesus, you are a member of the church. You are expected to be subjected to teaching and fellowship, which nurture your faith. It doesn’t matter how you became born again or your background. As long as you step into the church, the family where Christ is the head and believers are members of the body, God has ordained that through effective teaching and fellowship, your faith will mature and grow over time.
Acts 2:42 says, ‘And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.’ When this takes place among any people, faith is nurtured. We must never forget that. To maximize the faith-nurturing essence of the church, four critical elements must be present in any given church: apostolic teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers.
Apostolic Teaching
There must be apostolic teaching—a sound biblical teaching that provides a foundation for understanding the will and purpose of God. Imagine a father in a family not being able to pass across his wisdom to his children. What do you think becomes of the family and the future of the children? It won’t be good. In the same way, the church must have apostolic teaching that exposes the truth to believers, making them know what to do and how to do it.
Fellowship
The Bible says, ‘Do not forsake the company of ourselves.’ Effective fellowship is essential for nurturing faith. It becomes an environment where people share their experiences, burdens, victories, and even doubts. Iron sharpens iron, and through sharing, believers grow together.
Breaking of Bread
Breaking of bread symbolizes unity and hospitality, reinforcing the bond of the community. When we gather and share meals, we reinforce our unity as the body of Christ.
Prayers
When we gather, we should pray together. Prayer connects the church of God and unites believers in the common pursuit of God’s will. When we pray together, we stay together.
Encouragement and Accountability
The church is a place for encouragement and accountability. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, ‘And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.’ The church is where we stir up love and good works. It’s where we share our experiences and encourage one another, challenging each other for greater works. The church solidifies our growth and ensures consistency in our love for God and one another.
Spiritual Growth Through Service and Stewardship
The church is also a place for spiritual growth through service and stewardship. 1 Peter 4:10-11 says, ‘As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.’ The church is a hub for serving others, bringing out our best to benefit other believers.
God has given each one of us gifts to serve others, expecting us to be faithful stewards of His gifts. What God gives to you as a believer is not meant for you alone; it’s meant for the church. We must serve with purpose, understanding that we are mere stewards of God’s gifts.
The Role of the Church in Discipleship
The church plays a significant role in discipleship. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus said, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ The church is responsible for executing the global mission ordained by God. This includes baptizing and teaching new believers, helping them mature in faith.
People become adults over time in a conducive atmosphere called family. Similarly, believers brought into the church by the Holy Spirit are to be nurtured, baptized, and taught, making them one in spirit with every other member of the church. The church must teach the same truth, regardless of denomination, to fulfill the responsibility of discipling the nations.
Jesus said, ‘Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.’
The essence of baptism and teaching is to enable believers to do the things Jesus commanded. The church must guide believers to a place of obedience, where they can say, ‘Not my will, but Yours be done.’
It is your responsibility to find and do the will of God for your life. Failure to do the will of God will not be an excuse on the day of judgment. You must account for your life, resources, grace, favor, and health. I pray that the grace to fulfill your responsibilities comes upon you now in the name of Jesus. You will not fail God in discipling the nations. You will understand the identity and purpose of the church, executing God’s plans in the name of Jesus.
Generations of the church come and go, but the church remains. My prayer is that our generation will not fail God. We will rise, step up, and fulfill our destinies, identified with Christ, discipling the nations, and subjecting them to the obedience of Christ’s word. Amen.
I’m excited to have shared this time with you. The church is a big family with wisdom shared, transgenerational blessings transferred, and graces imparted. The ultimate purpose is our growth and fulfillment in destiny. Jesus said, ‘I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ The powers of hell will not prevail against your life, family, or ministry in Jesus’ name. God bless you.
